Water Heater Drain Valve

Draining
water heater and
how to replace a drain valve

Find useful info when replacing a water heater drain valve,
about drain valve problems, how to use it, how does it work...

Water heater drain valves are
made of
plastic and brass. Recommendation is to use one made
of brass as
they are more durable with better quality while plastic drain
valves are easy to damage especially around threads and are more likely
to leak.

Ball valves are also an option for successful draining, and
they are
recommended from plumbers for
better maintenance.

How
to unclog the water heater drain valve

You
will recognize when the water heater drain valve is clogged as
the water
flows
sporadically or trickles instead
of a steady stream.

What is blocking the stop mechanism are probably
the sediments, and if you cannot clean it under the pressure, this is
what
you should do:

Open the TPR to let the air into the tank.

Take a small gauge (thin) wire (i.e. coat hanger)
and poke through the drain plug opening to eliminate any obstructions.

If the above action is not helping, replace
the valve.

As the valve is placed on a certain height from the bottom of
the
tank, there will always be some water left even when you thoroughly do
the draining. Water, left at the bottom of the tank will
contain most of the harmful and corrosive particles, which can again
clog the drain valve. Recommendation is to flush
the whole system to remove those deposits.

Why
draining

There are several reasons why to drain your water heater:

Replacing a heater or component parts that
require emptying the unit.

Flushing due to the sediment build up.

Winterizing, prepare your heater for winter
by
draining the tank.

Water heater drain valve leaks.

Drain plug is clogged.

How
to drain water heater

Before
you drain the water heater make sure the water inside the tank is not
hot. The best will be if you turn the unit off for a few hours and
after that perform the action below.

Shut
the electricity off at the breaker to your electric unit or turn the
gas control valve to pilot position or thermostat dial to OFF, if the
unit is on gas.

Open nearby hot faucets and leave them open.
All water to run until it becomes colder (100 F or less).

Close the main shut-off valve on the
incoming
pipe.

Open the TPR (located on top of the unit).

Connect a hose to the drain valve and use the other
end of the hose to terminate to an adequate drain or outdoors.

Make sure all the connections are tight and the
flow is directed away from people.

Open the drain valve to allow the water inside the
tank to flow out.

When the heater is drained and the flow
stops, disconnect the hose from the valve and close it.

When
filling the heater... close the water heater drain valve, located at
the lower front of the unit, by turning the handle clockwise.

It is recommended that the tank is drained and flushed every 6
months
or a year.

Draining and flushing is different. Draining means that you
are shutting the supply off and then opening the drain.

When
flushing the unit, you connect a discharge hose to the drain valve and
then
opening it with the incoming water still on. The pressure will force
the deposits out of the drain as well as having the incoming water
swirl the contents around, to loosen them up.

Replacing
a drain valve

To
replace a drain valve on electric and gas heaters is very
easy.
It is important to have the water inside the tank cooled off. To
replace the part you can either fully or partially (below) drain the
water.

Turn the power off at the circuit breaker if
the heater is electric
or turn the gas valve to pilot if you have a gas unit.

Close the main supply valve located close
to
the heater.

Prepare the new ball valve by applying the
Teflon tape or pipe sealer to the valve threads.

Put the bucket below the valve to collect
the
exiting water.

Unscrew the old water heater drain valve by using
the adjustable wrench or large groove-joint pliers.

Due to the buildup pressure inside the
tank,
you might have a rush of water once you remove the old valve.

Let the small amount exit.

Quickly install the new valve, turning it clockwise
so the heater won't loose too much water.

Drain
Valve Problems

All heaters have a drain plug at the bottom of the unit. Such
a
location allows you to perform a routine maintenance and drain
the tank easily. But there are also problems... they might be damaged
or leaking.

If there is a missing
drain valve it may be difficult to get the sediment deposits out of the
bottom of the tank. If the valve is damaged it may not be able to
operate. If it is leaking than there is a problem that has to be fixed.